A Debt Paid
by MiraculousMarauder
Summary: Haruhi's debt is finally paid off. What will she do now? Kyoya has been dreading the day she might leave and has been making contingencies, but maybe Haruhi will surprise the unsurprisable Shadow King
1. Chapter 1

"Kyoya-sempai, can I have a word please?"

The man in question did not hesitate from his rhythmic typing, his eyes not moving from the screen. He seemed, for all intents and purposes, to have no interest in having a conversation. However, when it came to the Shadow King, appearances could be deceiving. His glasses flashed in the light, hiding his eyes as he inclined his head slightly in acquiescence. If she hadn't been paying close attention, Haruhi wouldn't have noticed.

"Go ahead."

"It's about my debt," she continued on, moving closer to Kyoya and lowering her tone to ensure none of the rest of the club could overhear. There were no girls to entertain, all having left for the day, and the boys were busy amusing themselves before they went home as well.

Glancing around, Haruhi could see the twins playing tricks on an enraged Tamaki. Honey was eating cake while Mori sat patiently sipping a cup of tea beside him as they both watched the Hitachiin's antics. None of them were paying Haruhi and Kyoya any attention, but it would only be a matter of time.

Kyoya stopped typing at her words. He suspected that this conversation was imminent, and he hadn't been looking forward to it, for reasons that he couldn't explain, even to himself. He closed the lid of his laptop and turned a steady gaze on her, no emotion showing on his face. He suspected she wasn't fooled, however.

"Yes?" he encouraged, adjusting his glasses on his nose and wishing this could be put off, for just a little longer.

"You know, and I know, that by the end of this week, my debt will be paid off," she started again.

Kyoya made a non-committal sound in the back of his throat, taking his own look around the room at his club brothers. And they really were like a family. Tamaki liked to call himself 'daddy', and while that portrayal may be a little off, since the beautiful blonde boy was often the most immature of all of them, Kyoya's own title of 'mother' was somewhat more accurate, and he cared deeply for the whole group. Not that he would ever tell them that. As far as they all knew, he was only there for what he could gain.

If Haruhi's debt was cleared, there would be no more need for her to remain in music room number three. She would have no more need to maintain their friendship, as she herself, as a commoner, felt she didn't need the benefits wealthy and prestigious friends would afford her. The twins would still see her, they were in her class after all, but the loss would be keenly felt by the whole group. Kyoya included. He would never admit to it though.

He had already started to devise possible ways to keep her within the club, and he wasn't above sacrificing some priceless objects to her clumsiness if that was what it took.

"Increase the debt," she stated, her voice quiet but filled with conviction.

Her demand was met with silence. There was little in life that surprised Otori Kyoya. He had made a career of knowing everything there was to know about everyone. Haruhi was never quite so predictable though. He blinked once at her where she stood next to him, the only visible reaction to her statement.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, and she smiled slightly. He sounded genuinely confused and Haruhi had never heard the emotion colour his voice before. It felt nice to get one over on the 'cool' Otori.

"Look. I don't want to leave the Host Club. I... I'm happy here."

"So why not just stay? Why the secrecy? The others will be thrilled to know you want to be here, and not just because you need to pay off your debt."

Haruhi wrinkled her nose slightly before a genuine, albeit small, smile graced her lips.

"I have my reasons, and I suspect you already know why," she stated, making to head back to collect her bag before going home for the day. "Let's just keep this between us, okay?" and she turned her head back to look at him, tilting it slightly and smiling brightly. Kyoya felt his heart stutter in his chest.

Pushing his glasses up his nose, allowing them to catch the light again, Kyoya answered her smile with a small, almost imperceptible curve of his own lips.

As she walked away, Kyoya contemplated the woman. He suspected he did understand her reasons for wanting their conversation kept secret. How she would not want the others to know how much she had come to care. He watched as the twins slunk up beside her, each throwing an arm across her shoulders. He saw how Usa-chan was thrust into her arms by Honey before Mori picked her up and removed her from the little devils' clutches. In his periphery, Kyoya noted how Tamaki was crouched into a foetal position, sulking in the corner of the room. The group really needed no further encouragement when it came to the disguised female.

Why then, had she divulged her secret to him? Was it because he was the only one who could help? There were other ways she could achieve her goal, plenty of ways to increase the debt without asking. She had done it accidentally often enough in the past. Was she then, perhaps, trying to express her feelings to him?

"An interesting thought, in its own way," he murmured to himself. Haruhi was already too far away to hear.


	2. Chapter 2

There was something not quite right with Haruhi. It wasn't a bad thing, necessarily, it was just... different, and all of the hosts were starting to notice.

None more so than her classmates and self-appointed best friends, Hikaru and Kaoru.

They sat together in a large window, looking out into the quad area of the prestigious academy. Their postures mirrored each other, one knee bent and used to prop an elbow, their heads resting in the heel of their perspective hands. The other leg stretched across the large sill, their feet nearly touching. Expressionless and unspeaking, the twins considered the situation.

Her smiles were warmer, more natural. She tried harder to involve herself in the hosts' activities, whether for the club or in their free time. She seemed... Happier.

It was a little disconcerting.

What had happened to make her this way? Was it just a natural progression, the boys' personalities starting to rub off on her?

The thought occurred to Kaoru first. He had always been the one to see the bigger picture. To not let his own personal emotions cloud the reality of a situation. Although really, Hikaru was the better of the two at maths, he should have been the first to figure it out.

 _Her debt._

 _How long had it been? How many customers had she entertained? How long until her quota was filled?_

 _Could it be that Haruhi is happy that her debt has almost run out?_

The notion caused a pang to Kaoru's heart that he wanted to block out, to deny completely. He couldn't though. He'd often accuse his brother of being in love with Haruhi. Truth was, Hikaru wasn't the only one. Others were just better at hiding their emotions.

But then again, Kaoru had never been very good at hiding them from his twin. His other half. Through his dawning realisation Hikaru glanced up and saw the fear and the hurt and the uncertainty barely concealed in the back of the younger's eyes. He felt a shadow of those emotions himself, seeing his brother distraught. It wasn't until Kaoru started to speak that Hikaru understood.

"Hika... What are we going to do? You don't think she'd really...?" he asked his brother, his tone uncharacteristically melancholy as he watched the laughing Haruhi out of the corner of his eye.

Finally catching up to the possibility of the situation through the unspoken way the twins managed to communicate, Hikaru also looked up to study the disguised girl.

"Maybe we could..."

"No," Kaoru interrupted, anticipating the elder's selfish thought. "If she's happy, we can't make her stay."

"But she's ours," Hikaru argued, face colouring with a mixture of fear and anger. "She belongs with us, she's _our_ friend. I don't want her to leave."

Turning on the windowsill, Kaoru draped his arm around his brother. It was rare for him to be the one to comfort, but then usually, it was all for show.

"No, Hikaru. We can't be selfish like that. Haruhi wouldn't be happy if we made her stay." Kaoru nuzzled his head into the hair behind Hikaru's ear, breathing in his scent and drawing some courage from it. "We have to let her go, so she's happy. You do want her to be happy, right, Hikaru? Besides maybe we're wrong."

Hikaru grumbled resentfully, but couldn't deny the truth of his brother's words.

"At least we'll have class with her still," they said in unison, and gave each other matching smirks before turning their heads as one to observe their fearless leader.

"I wonder how Tono will take this," Hikaru considered, his grin growing wider.

"Losing his precious 'daughter'? Not very well, I should have thought."

"He'll probably sulk..."

"Cry..."

"Wail..."

"Mope..."

"Grow mushrooms..."

"It'll be a gloomy day for him, that's for sure," Kaoru acknowledged, his smile devilish.

"He'd be better off finding out sooner rather than later," Hikaru suggested.

"Like ripping off a plaster."

The two rose to their feet. Purposefully, they strode over to where Haruhi was busy having tea with Honey, the small blonde enthusiastically shovelling cake into his mouth as she watched on indulgently. Mori sat quietly opposite, observing the two interacting.

Leaning over the back of the sofa, Hikaru and Kaoru placed their faces either side of hers, cheeks brushing.

Making sure they spoke loud enough so that Tamaki could hear where he stood talking to Kyoya, the boys eyes glinted with mischief. They had discovered early on that this was an effective way to mask their own emotions.

"Hey, Haruhi...?" Kaoru began.

"When were you going to mention that you were leaving?" Hikaru finished, playfully poking at her cheek.

Haruhi turned her head first to face one, then the other, her expression baffled.

"Leaving?" she asked, a frown furrowing her brow.

A small wail sounded from the sofa next to her.

"Are you leaving us, Haru-chan?" Honey cried, eyes welling with tears and Usa-chan clutched to his chest. His cake fork lay forgotten on the plate in front of him. Mori continued to look on, his face a blank mask hiding any emotion, but his eyes were burning.

"Wha-? No! What gave you that idea?" the girl asked, waving her hands in front of her as if to ward off their concerns.

"Well," Hikaru mused, his arms crossing over the back of the sofa as he rested his chin on them. "We know that your debt..."

"Must be close to being paid off," Kaoru continued, his pose mirroring his brother's.

"Why would you stay?" They finished together, their faces turned towards her.

The volume of conversation, which had the intention of attracting Tamaki's attention, also drew the gaze of Kyoya, who was talking with the self-appointed King.

A strangled cry came from Tamaki as he attempted to rush over to his precious daughter, but he slipped on an errant banana peel, landing flat on his back, winded and seeing stars. This went largely unnoticed by the rest of the room.

Haruhi floundered somewhat. She hadn't realised her behaviour had changed all that much. Was she really so obvious? She jumped from the settee, bringing her face out of range of the devilish brothers, her hands waving a negative in front of her even as her face betrayed her worry.

Kyoya came to stand close beside Haruhi and the girl startled. She liked Kyoya but everything he said, everything he did was always with a purpose, and she was never sure she completely trusted whatever he was about to do. While she knew he liked to pretend he was an egoist, usually he did have other people's best interests at heart. However, Kyoya could only be who Kyoya was, and his motives were not always wholly altruistic.

"Unfortunately, Haruhi, your debt is still a long way from being paid off," his glasses flashed as he tilted his head, a devious smile crossing his features. "There have been many additions I have been forced to place on the debt, which means you will be with us still for quite some time."

Six pairs of eyes observed the shadow king, their expressions ranging from confused to relieved while Haruhi just remained wary.

"So then," Hikaru began, his eyes swivelling to their female compatriot. "Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed, tilting his head speculatively. "You've been acting differently, Haruhi."

"Why is that?" they questioned her.

Haruhi coloured slightly, drawing her lower lip between her teeth and nibbling on it uncertainly. She looked from one twin to the other before realising that all eyes were now on her.

"I, um... well..." she stuttered, casting about for a plausible explanation. She was saved from her desperate searching by Kyoya.

"Well, not that it's anybody's business, it really doesn't affect anyone else but if you must know, Haruhi and I have been dating."

"Dating?" The cry came from all the other hosts, Haruhi included, before Kyoya gave her a quelling look. He pushed his glasses up his nose, catching the light and reaching a hand across to grasp her fingers. Haruhi's eyes widened almost imperceptibly but remained tight lipped. She didn't know where Kyoya was going with this and she decided to just follow his lead for the moment. She would confront him properly later.

The twins stood silently staring, neither quite able to take in what they were being told, and then not quite believing it either. But then, Haruhi _was_ different, and if she wasn't leaving...? She certainly wasn't denying what Kyoya said.

Hikaru's face flushed an angry red and without a word he stormed from the room.

Haruhi, her mouth open and brow furrowed made to pursue him but was restrained by a hand on the shoulder from Kyoya.

"Hikaru! Wait!" and with that Kaoru was gone as well, chasing after his brother and leaving the rest of the hosts standing in stunned silence.

 **So, usually when I do a multi-chapter, I have it mostly planned out before I start. With this, as I only really intended it to be a one shot, I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with it. Because of that, I can't promise to stick to tight deadlines although I will post as often as I can, and hopefully the story won't suffer too much for me not knowing quite where I'm going with it.**

 **We can all find out together.**


	3. Chapter 3

Lying flat on his back, dazed but aware, Tamaki took in what his best friend was saying with a sense of disbelief. His heart was in his throat, believing that Haruhi would be leaving them, breaking up their little family, and that she was _happy_ to be doing so. Then the relief he felt discovering that wasn't the case, her debt was still in place, she was staying with them, staying with _him_. And now _this?_

How could Kyoya do this to him? His best friend and his little girl. And without saying a word. How long had this been going on? How had they both managed to keep a relationship hidden from them? Their little, somewhat dysfunctional family. The lies tasted of betrayal.

Sitting up, he turned his head to look over at the group just in time to see the twins darting past him and out of the room, nearly knocking him flat on his back again. Neither paused as they rushed out and Tamaki paid them little mind, his focus entirely on where Kyoya's hand rested on Haruhi's shoulder. Honey and Mori sat side by side, as the small blonde, an uncertain yet happy smile on his face, babbled excitedly to the taller man. Mori, for his part, kept his face an emotionless mask.

Tamaki's rage was starting to build in his chest. He couldn't quite pinpoint exactly what he was angry about. Whether it was just being lied to, or if it was that it was his daughter that was being taken advantage of by his obviously lecherous friend (for surely he was taking some kind of advantage). Either way, he was angry.

Somehow, news of the relationship had come as little surprise to Morinozuka Takashi.

Silently, he would sip his tea, keeping one eye always trained on his slightly older cousin, ever the vigilant protector. But in a host club there was little need for protection, the only possible threat an overzealous guest who might react badly to jealousy. But that never really happened with his and Mitsukuni's guests, so he had plenty of opportunity to keep his other eye on the rest of the hosts.

Mori had perfected the fine art of observation many years ago. He had become so good at it in fact that people often mistook his quiet study to be stoicism and largely avoided him. This suited him well enough, people flocked to Mitsukuni's bubbly lolita personality and he didn't lack company.

So he had noticed Haruhi's change in behaviour over the past few weeks. He had also noticed everyone else's behaviour towards her. He was aware of the twins somewhat monopolising attitude towards their classmate, Tamaki's desperate desire to maintain an unrealistic father/daughter relationship despite his apparent romantic feelings. He could also see the way that Kyoya looked at her when he thought no one was looking. How he used his laptop, his notebook, his glasses to hide his calculating glances as he tried to solve the puzzle that was Fujioka Haruhi.

And everyone knew how much Kyoya liked to solve puzzles.

Takashi had a soft spot for the girl himself. He wasn't in love with her the same way some of the others were. He felt for her the same way he felt for Mitsukuni. She was family, and Takashi protected his family.

He had observed the exchange between Haruhi and the twins, and he couldn't deny that he had felt a twinge of... something, when they suggested she might be leaving. But with his fears alleviated, he once again fell back into quiet observation, content that his world would remain largely unchanged.

Tamaki finally managed to rouse himself from his despair and pulled himself up to his feet. His rage broke through his wall of disbelief and he stormed over to where his supposed best friend stood.

"Kyoya, you bastard!" he cried, grabbing Kyoya by the front of his shirt and forcing the dark haired boy to drop his hold on Haruhi. "What the hell do you think you're doing? And why did you keep this from me?" Haruhi took a step back but waved her arms in an effort to calm the situation.

"Senpai, please," she begged, her eyes darting between the two boys as Kyoya stood there, unresisting as Tamaki shook him. "Stop this, it's not what you think..."

"It's exactly what you think," Kyoya disagreed, his voice level as Tamaki's grip tightened. "Haruhi and I are dating. It hasn't been for long. We haven't felt it necessary to inform you as we were still testing the waters but things have become a little more serious and we feel it is the right time to let you all know." Tamaki's fingers loosened and his head dropped. Weakly, he released Kyoya and the boy brushed down the wrinkles in his shirt, adjusting his glasses and reaching once more for Haruhi who was stood in mute shock at his words.

Taking her by the elbow, Kyoya gently lead Haruhi away from the group. Despite putting enough distance between them and the other hosts to ensure their privacy, Kyoya still leaned in to speak directly into the shell of her ear, causing her to shudder. Sounds of a scuffle broke out behind them but the pair ignored it.

"I think that, to keep up the charade, we should go out on a proper date," Kyoya murmured and Haruhi threw him a startled glance.

"Why do you... What do... I mean... Why?" she stuttered, suddenly very unsure of herself.

"I think that it would be more believable that we were dating if we actually acted like a couple." His smile was surprisingly rakish. "I think going on a date would be a good place to start."

Haruhi placed a finger on her chin and lowered her head in thought. Kyoya was surprised by the tension coiling in his gut as he waited for her response. He hoped that she was taken in by his logic. If she disagreed then they would both be ousted as liars and he knew she wouldn't want that, no less because it would incur more questions about why they had felt the need to lie in the first place.

Her fist came down into her palm and there was a determined gleam in her eye when she brought her head back up.

"You're right," she agreed. "Let's go on a date."

 **I realise that this fic is not largely plot driven. There is quite a lot of introspection going on and I'm not really sure how I feel about that but it's what is coming out so I'm going with it.**


	4. Chapter 4

Hikaru was moving fast, his feet pounding the tiled floors of the school hallway, and Kaoru followed the echoing sounds of his footsteps, his twin already too far ahead for Kaoru to see him. The slam of a door caught his attention and he forced himself to move faster, desperate to catch up to Hikaru and calm him down. Outside the window, a flock of doves flapped in front of the clock tower which overlooked the courtyard, and their wings caused stuttered shadows to dance across the floor at his feet.

He didn't spare the scene a glance, however, his sole focus on finding Hikaru.

Skidding abruptly to a halt, Kaoru almost lost his footing as he came level with the door Hikaru must have gone through. There were none other nearby. Cautiously, he turned the handle and opened the door to find an empty classroom, the desks and chairs lined neatly, patiently waiting for the next school day and the next group of students to occupy them.

All that is, except for one in the back corner, where Kaoru observed his brother, arms crossed on the desk with his chin resting on them. His expression was stormy, even with his eyes closed.

Silently Kaoru shut the door behind him, leaning on it briefly, and steadily made his way across the room, stopping beside Hikaru.

"What's got you so bent out of shape then, Hikaru?" Kaoru asked, slouching down on to the floor beside the chair his brother occupied, resting his head on Hikaru's leg and looking up at the older twin. "You really need to learn to control that temper of yours. If you can't keep a handle on your emotions, you'll push everyone away, and I don't know about you, but I've quite enjoyed making some friends. I don't want to lose them now."

Hikaru had opened his eyes when Kaoru had rested his head and as the younger twin spoke, his brows had become more furrowed. By the end his lips were pursed in an obstinate pout, his chin still on his crossed arms, his eyes trained straight ahead and avoiding his brothers accusing gaze.

"I don't know what you having friends has to do with me," he muttered and Kaoru huffed.

"Don't be ridiculous. If you don't have friends, I don't have friends." He made no elaborations but he knew Hikaru would understand what he was trying to say. He'd feel exactly the same way. Neither said anything for a few minutes. Outside the room they heard voices getting nearer and then fading away again as whoever it was passed by the door. Finally, Kaoru moved from where he was sat, the cold of the tile making him numb, the slight pricking of pins and needles travelling down his legs. He pulled a chair over from another desk and sat next to his brother, resting one elbow on the wood and cradling his cheek with his hand.

"Look, Hikaru. If she's made her choice we have to respect that. It's probably for the best anyway."

Hikaru stood up so forcibly he knocked his chair over. The crash rang loud in the mostly empty classroom and Kaoru's arm slipped in his surprise. He looked warily up at his brother, expecting him to look angry and was taken aback by the look of abject desolation painted across his features. His heart nearly broke inside his chest at seeing Hikaru look so lost.

"No! How could it be for the best? She shouldn't be with him. She should be-" Hikaru's outburst ended as abruptly as it started, his mouth clamped shut against the words which had almost slipped out. His cheeks flushed red.

"With you?" It came out as a question but Kaoru already knew where this was going. Of course he knew Hikaru was in love with Haruhi, he had known that before even Hikaru had known himself. Hikaru was a little more selfish than Kaoru though, too involved with his own feelings that he didn't notice others'. "That's what you were thinking, wasn't it? You're not the only one, you know."

Hikaru's head snapped up and his mouth opened in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You're not the only one who is in love with her. His majesty is, although I think we can both agree that it's better that she didn't end up with him. I think even Honey and Mori have feelings for her, although maybe that's not quite the same." Kaoru stood up again, standing face to face with his brother and looking him dead in the eye. "And I've been in love with her probably for as long as you have."

Hikaru took a step back at Kaoru's words, his face a mask of emotion. Shock, anger, confusion, sadness, disbelief. He gaped wordlessly at his younger twin. Kaoru sighed in resignation, rubbing his hand across his face and slumping back down into his chair. "Honestly, I don't know what I would have done if you had ended up with her. I love you, and I'd've been happy for you but... I don't know..." He looked back up to where Hikaru still stood, his expression turning stony as he took in Kaoru's words. "I just think maybe it's better this way."

Having said his piece, Kaoru fell silent, giving Hikaru the time he needed to process the information.

Hikaru had been so set in his own jealousy over losing Haruhi to Kyoya, he hadn't spared a thought for anybody else. In truth, he hadn't realised that there had been anyone else to spare a thought for. And that in itself made him feel sick. How had it gone so long that he hadn't noticed that his twin brother was in love, and with the same girl as he was no less? Really, sometimes their tastes ran a little too similar.

He sunk back down onto his own chair, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning towards Kaoru.

"You're right," Hikaru agreed, and for the first time since the whole mess had started, when Kyoya had announced to them all that he and Haruhi were dating, Hikaru looked like maybe his world wasn't completely falling apart, that maybe everything would work out okay.

Already the sun was starting to set. School had finished some two hours ago now and the classroom where they sat was starting to get dark. Hikaru pulled his phone out of his pocket, noticing a few missed calls and unread messages before ignoring them and tucking it away again. He stood up and offered his hand to Kaoru, pulling him to his feet. "Let's go home."

Kaoru gave his brother a reassuring smile, wrapping one arm around Hikaru's waist. Hikaru reciprocated, his arm coming around Kaoru's shoulders. As they walked back out of the classroom together, Kaoru's smile turned sad. Despite everything, all the earnest words he had spoken to his brother, not all of them had quite rung with truth. It was true that he was glad Haruhi hadn't ended up with Hikaru, that really would have broken his heart in two, but did he really think it was all for the best...? Did it really matter? Maybe that carriage had finally turned into a pumpkin.

 **Now, I'm really sorry this took so long. I don't really have a defence. On the plus side, the next chapter is also nearly finished as I started writing that first and then decided I needed to put this confrontation out there. Hopefully have the next posted soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

Haruhi nervously paced just inside the doorway of the living space she shared with her father. Luckily for her, he was at work, and that was one less thing to worry about. Doubtless he would have something to say about her current behaviour. As much as he might act like Tamaki at times, Ranka was certainly wise when it came to his daughter and her emotional state and she really didn't want to have to field any questions right now.

Kyoya had completely blindsided her when he had told the group they were dating, but she took it in her stride. He was being a friend and helping her out so the boys didn't realise just how much she had come to care for them.

She wouldn't mind Honey and Mori so much, but the twins stuck to her like glue as it was and she could only imagine just how 'adorable' Tamaki would find his 'little girl' actually enjoying being in the host club. They would become insufferable.

So she had gone to Kyoya. He was level headed, he wouldn't care particularly one way or another except that it meant she would be bringing in more clients for the host club and when it came down to the bottom line, Kyoya was always happier when the finances were going well. Plus, she liked Kyoya. He was intelligent, he could be witty, ambitious, passionate about the things he cared about. And sometimes, the things he cared about weren't the things he wanted you to think. He was a lot like Haruhi in that sense. He kept his cards close to his chest, making sure not to reveal his weaknesses to anyone.

Not that she had paid all that much attention to the Shadow King. At all. Really.

He had completely floored her when he went past the mantle of 'helpful friend', suggesting they go on an actual date. His claim that it would keep up the ruse had been convincing, but in retrospect, Haruhi wasn't sure it was necessarily... necessary.

Surely there could have been a different story they could have told the club to cover up the situation. It all seemed to be blowing itself out of proportion. Haruhi appreciated that he had been thinking on the fly but still...

Besides which, Kyoya always had an ulterior motive. Haruhi just had to figure out what it was this time before she got sucked in too deep and started believing their own charade.

Not that that was going to happen. Because she didn't feel that way about Kyoya. And he didn't feel that way about her.

And Haruhi was going to maintain that stance, even as she chewed on her nails, falling back on an old habit she had kicked years ago. Butterflies were performing acrobatics in her stomach and, as she glanced at the clock for the fourth time that minute, she wondered if she had time to change her outfit. She should be grateful; she knew that Kyoya had refined tastes and the date would inevitably be in a high-end restaurant. In typical Kyoya style, he had given her exact instructions outlining exactly what he had expected of her that evening, even going so far as providing her with 'suitable' clothing and footwear. Which was how she found herself dressed in a knee-length royal blue cocktail dress with complimentary heels. In fairness, the dress was simple in style with no frills or extraneous detail and the heels were modest, but she always had felt more comfortable in trousers and flats, much to Ranka's chagrin.

Just as she decided that she would, in fact, change into something a little less form fitting and a little more comfortable, there came a knock at the door and she felt a cold lump of fear settle into her stomach. Her heart stopped, just for a moment, and then started to beat a rapid tattoo inside her chest. This feeling was an alien one. She had been nervous before, when she had first step foot into music room number three and had suffered the onslaught from Tamaki which had led her to knock over the vase, causing the debt which had started her on the journey to this exact moment. She had been excited before, when she had first learned that she would be going to Ouran Academy on a full scholarship. But never before had she felt this unique combination of both of those sensations.

Haruhi wasn't at all sure she liked it.

Nevertheless, she had never backed down from her word before and she had no intention of doing so now. Tachibana was waiting on the other side of the door to escort her to the car and by extension, Kyoya. She wouldn't keep him waiting any longer. Smoothing down her short brown locks - thank goodness he hadn't expected her to wear a wig like Tamaki or the twins might have done - she gave herself one last look in the mirror by the front door, courtesy of her father's vanity, and reached for the handle.

She huffed out a breath. "Time to go."

 **The moment everyone has been waiting for. It's time for the date! See you next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

I'm sorry, I disappeared there for a while but I'm back now. Honestly, I lost motivation and ran out of steam for this story but I've regained inspiration and have the whole story planned and a few chapters almost complete so I'll be posting more frequently. Thank you for your patience

* * *

To Haruhi's surprise, it wasn't Tachibana waiting outside her door, but Kyoya himself. His being there was so completely unexpected that she almost didn't notice the single white blossom he held out towards her. So completely unprepared had she been for his presence on her doorstep that she was struck dumb, mutely staring at him as though every function of her brain had ceased to work. Nonplussed but somewhat bemused, Kyoya cleared his throat to gain her attention.

"For you," he offered, bringing the flower closer to her. Wordlessly she took it, her nerveless fingers almost losing their grip on the stem as she turned away to find a vase. Kyoya followed her inside.

"Why did you bring me a flower?" Haruhi asked as she pulled a tall drinking glass out of the cupboard and filled it at the sink, the only sound the rush of water on glass. Kyoya mutely regarded the back of her head. Had she taken it upon herself to turn and look, the glare of light on glass would have obscured his expression from her anyway.

Kyoya took a moment to compose an answer. The truth of it was, he didn't really know what had compelled him to stop at the flower shop the car had passed on the way to picking up Haruhi for their date. He had had no prior intention, in fact, he didn't even realise until Tachibana had pulled over that he had even given the order to stop.

Unsurprisingly, given that it was something of a commoners store, the serving assistant had been helpful to a fault, giving Kyoya his undivided and excessive attention and what should have taken two minutes had taken ten. It had tried all of Kyoya's patience and then some to make it through the encounter without snapping like he had in that fast food restaurant at the Izumi Shopping Centre near Karuizawa.

The end result was a long stem with small white flowers along its length. The shop assistant had informed him that it symbolised 'promise of happiness'. Even though Kyoya placed little stock in the language of flowers - pretty enough to look at but they held no practical use and died within a week - he wanted to take no chances and the Lily of the Valley seemed a reasonable bet.

Not that he wanted to disclose any of that to Haruhi, who, having placed the flower in water was now looking expectantly up at him.

A small hint of red tinted his cheeks. Luckily, Kyoya was gifted in the art of misdirection.

"Societal expectations dictate that a gift is given when picking someone up for a date, especially a first one. Flowers are traditional."

His answer seemed to satisfy Haruhi as her bemused smile turned pleased.

"It's beautiful. Thank you, Kyoya-senpai."

Kyoya stifled the response that almost slipped out - something far more befitting of Tamaki's silver tongue - comparing the flower's beauty to her own. Kyoya never was one for poetic language anyway. He thought that pretty words disguised insincerity, and reserved it for his occasional designators at the host club.

"I think it best if you drop the honorific. As two people dating, I think it would seem more... plausible... if you called me just 'Kyoya', or even 'Kyo', don't you think?"

Haruhi coloured slightly both over his scrutiny and his words. His eyes - always observing - had been holding her in their arresting gaze the whole while.

The idea of calling him 'Kyo' was unthinkable although Haruhi understood his point. As usual, he was logical to a fault. Kyoya. She could manage that. Besides, at school their 'relationship' was a secret anyway, at least as far as everyone else was concerned, so it wouldn't seem strange if she slipped and called him 'senpai'.

"Kyoya."

His name sounded too loud in the space between them and they both flushed pink. Silently they stared at each other, neither willing to admit, even to themselves, the warm glow created by her speaking his given name as if they were more that school and club mates.

And truth be told, whatever else they were, they had indeed crossed the mantle of mere club mates. Kyoya was her confidante, her secret keeper and co-conspirator. Perhaps, even a friend.

Years of formal gatherings and etiquette lessons had Kyoya automatically offering his elbow to lead Haruhi to the car. Hesitantly - it would never do to trust the Shadow King implicitly - she took it and he led her out to the quiet suburban street.

Extensive light pollution meant that the stars were practically invisible to them except on the clearest of nights.

Haruhi remembered a time - a memory long distant - when she would stand outside with her mother looking up at the sky. This one particular night her mother had grabbed her by the hand and pointed up with a childlike wonder more befitting her father. Haruhi couldn't help but be infected by her excitement as they watched one lone star fall through the darkness. Whenever she looked at the stars she would remember that night.

 _"Haruhi," her mother began, the earnest tone immediately catching her attention. "Shooting stars are so beautiful, don't you think?" Haruhi nodded her head but her mother didn't notice, her eyes transfixed on the heavens while Haruhi stared enraptured at her face. "They burn so brightly, yet so quickly, and then they're gone. So when you see them, be sure to make a wish before you lose your chance."_

 _With those words, the older woman closed her eyes, face still turned to the sky, a small smile dancing across her lips. Wordlessly, Haruhi turned her own face up, closing her eyes and gripping her mother's hand tightly._

Looking back, she couldn't remember what she had wished for on that night, and had long since stopped wishing on stars. Haruhi didn't know it at the time, but her mother was already sick at that point and fast approaching the end. Perhaps it had been Kotoko's way of creating happy, meaningful memories for the already too serious child.

Now, Haruhi knew that shooting stars weren't stars at all, but rocks burning up at they fell through the atmosphere at the mercy of gravity's pull before crashing to the earth. Still, the sentiment remained. Life is fleeting, have no regrets. With that in mind, she thanked Tachibana as he held the door of the car open for her and she stepped inside.


	7. Chapter 7

Tamaki saw the pair arrive in the restaurant from where he was stationed up in the mezzanine. Lounging behind him, twin expressions of boredom painted on their faces were Kaoru and Hikaru. He turned to face the twins, his mouth set in resolution.

"I've already briefed Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai," Tamaki began, "This is the 'Make Sure Kyoya Doesn't Hurt My Precious Daughter' - plan."

"Could probably use a catchier moniker," Hikaru grumbled and Kaoru turned his answering giggle into a cough when Tamaki threw a glare at him.

"Currently we have Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai monitoring the situation. They are cleverly disguised so that Haruhi and Kyoya won't even realise their presence," Tamaki explained to the incredulous twins as they looked down to where Honey and Mori were.

Three tables back from the couple, desperately attempting to remain unremarkable, two moustachioed men sat holding their menu's at an angle that would have made it near impossible to read but hid their faces from anyone who cared to look their way.

And look they did. Their conspicuous behaviour was garnering more than their share of attention from the patrons of the restaurant.

From their vantage point from the mezzanine the Hitachiin brothers watched the scene unfolding, their arms folded and leaning on the railing.

"They're being completely obvious," observed Hikaru, his attention on the poorly disguised cousins who were in the process of ordering from the waitress while still trying to mask their faces in case Haruhi or Kyoya were to notice them.

"I'm sure Kyoya-senpai knows that Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai are there," Kaoru agreed. "You'd have to be a complete idiot not to realise."

Tamaki continued on as though he hadn't been interrupted. In fact, he gave no indication that he had heard the twins at all. "So effective is their disguise, I'm actually not sure if they've arrived yet." Seemingly from nowhere he pulled a white-board out, a detailed game plan drawn across it. "Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai are the affirmative action squad and they will neutralise the situation if Kyoya tries to pull anything funny. They are under strict instruction to remove Haruhi in that event. Hikaru, Kaoru," the two snapped to attention, their hands coming to a salute. "You are the eyes in the sky. You will keep watch of the broader picture. Kyoya will naturally have staff on hand around the restaurant, and we just need to make sure they don't interfere if Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai step in."

"What will you be doing, Tono?" one of the twins asked - Tamaki was too far gone to even pretend to try and figure out which.

"I had Honey-senpai slip a microphone into her bag on his way past so I will be listening in from up here," he stated proudly, tapping his finger to where the receiver sat nestled discretely in his ear.

"Don't you think this is all taking it a bit too far?" Hikaru asked, one eyebrow raised in slight disbelief.

Kaoru was quick to agree. "It does come across just a little bit..."

"Like stalking," they finished together.

Tamaki turned away with a look of resolution setting his features. "It is no more or less than a father would do for his daughter," he crooned, hands clasped together, his expression dramatic enough to rival even the Zuka club. "I just want to keep her safe."

"From your best friend?" Kaoru asked.

Tamaki looked back at them both, his eyes unexpectedly steely. "One can never be sure what exactly Kyoya may be thinking."

They stared wordlessly as the gravity of the situation as Tamaki saw it finally hit them. They had spent so much time wishing themselves in Kyoya's highly polished, Italian leather shoes, they hadn't put any thought into exactly what Kyoya had planned for his relationship with Haruhi. And if they knew nothing else about Kyoya - and honestly, they weren't sure they did - he was always scheming. The twins stared at Tamaki with a new respect for the self-proclaimed leader of their group. No one else knew Kyoya the way that he did and quite honestly, no one else saw the world in quite the way his Majesty did. Looking at each other, communicating in the silent way only they could, they both came to the realisation that neither of them quite gave Tamaki his dues.

The moment was shattered however when they looked back and the blonde was jumping angrily on the spot, a tangle of wires and plastic beneath his feet.

"Stupid, worthless, useless thing!"

"Never mind," they quipped in unison, not even bothering to hide their amused grins. They let Tamaki believe the ear-piece was broken - Honey-senpai had obviously never put the microphone in Haruhi's bag - and turned their attention to the date.

It seemed to be progressing quite well, both Kyoya and Haruhi looked as though they were enjoying each other's company. As they watched, Kyoya offered a forkful of his own entree to Haruhi, the food coming to brush at her lips before she opened her mouth to accept the morsel, a pretty blush colouring her cheeks. Both the twins ignored the envy curling in their stomachs at the display.

They turned away and looked at where Tamaki sat crouched in the corner, tears streaming down his face. In between his incessant babbling a few words made their way to them. "So nice... make her happy... do anything..."

The twins sighed in unison and turned back to watch the date unfold below.

"His majesty is taking this about as well as can be expected," Hikaru commented as the boy in question crawled on all fours, his eyes overflowing as he came to clutch at the bars of the railings and looked down mournfully.

"Why do you care so much, Tono?" Kaoru asked, his expression sly. "Surely, if she's just like a daughter to you..."

"... all you would want is for her to be happy?" Hikaru finished, his expression a mirror of his brother's.

Tamaki's tears dried up and he looked quizzically up at the twins.

"Well, yes," he agreed, bringing a finger to rest on his chin as he considered their question. "I suppose," he mused, "as her daddy, I would want to spend time with my daughter and for us to enjoy ourselves. It's only natural for a father to not want his daughter flying the nest, to keep her as close as possible," Tamaki stood, a finger raised dramatically in the air while the other hand bracketed his chin. The twins had the impression of red rose petals twirling around him as he posed. "It is only logical that I, as her father, would feel this way!"

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other exasperated.

"He's still clinging to that."

"What a moron."

An angry shout from the table had all the three of them whipping around to stare, mouths agape, at a seemingly furious Haruhi who stood, hands splayed on the table and glaring at a dripping wet Kyoya. It looked as though she had thrown her drink over him. She turned, bowing apologetically to the serving staff before storming out of the restaurant, Honey and Mori hurriedly following moments after. While the twins watched, Kyoya sat immobilised, his expression unreadable. The date had been going perfectly well, as far as either of them could tell - a little too well considering they both wished they could have been in Kyoya's place. Neither one of them noticed the expressions crossing Tamaki's face, at first startled, then perplexed before a dawning yet cautious realisation lit his violet eyes.

* * *

 **A little more dialogue this chapter, I hope you enjoyed the POV. I will be going back to the date, so this isn't the last you'll see of it. The next chapter will either be Haruhi's or Kyoya's perspective, I haven't decided which way round yet. Both are nearly finished though and I will publish the next chapter this time next week. Thank you for sticking with me!**


	8. Chapter 8

Haruhi didn't know how Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai showed up at the exact moment she left the restaurant but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth as she gratefully accepted their offer of a ride home. Out of the corner of her eye Haruhi saw Tachibana open his door and step out of the limo, his expression mildly concerned and she offered him an apologetic smile and bow as she was herded away by the cousins.

Whether Kyoya followed her, she neither knew nor cared. Quite frankly he could do what he liked, as long as it didn't pertain to her. She scoffed aloud as the end of the 'date' replayed in her mind. She was brought abruptly out of her musings by someone clearing their throat. Looking slowly first to her left and then her right, Haruhi took in the concerned expressions on both Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai's faces. Forcing herself to smile, she tried to placate the boys.

"Sorry, senpais," she waved a hand in front of her, brushing away their disquiet. "It's nothing, really. I do appreciate you giving me a lift home though. You two are like my guardian angels or something." She dipped her head, fixing her eyes on the path in front of her so she didn't notice the blush that pinkened both of their faces.

A few minutes' walk from the restaurant, their car was parked. Mori held the door open as Honey handed her in and Haruhi smiled gratefully at them when they both sat down on either side of her.

Haruhi sat silently on the short journey. Whether they noticed her discomfort or were oblivious to it, Mori and Honey didn't try to engage her in conversation, rather they talked with each other. The rhythmic flash of streetlights through the otherwise dark windows as the car drove was almost hypnotic.

* * *

The sip of water Haruhi had just taken in was almost spit back out again at his words. Carefully she swallowed and grabbed for her napkin, dabbing the excess moisture from her lips as she composed herself to answer coherently.

"I don't think I quite understand what you mean, Kyoya-senpai." She eyed him warily as he took a sip of his own drink before lowering it, extending his little finger as a cushion before placing his glass calmly back on the table. Kyoya rested his chin on his fist, a calculating glint in his eye.

"What I mean, Haruhi, is that it would be only logical if you and I -"

* * *

The car came to a halt, jolting Haruhi out of her memory from earlier in the evening.

"You're home, Haru-chan," Honey spoke gently, touching her elbow.

"Thank you," she smiled back. The trio got out of the car and walked to her front door. Haruhi pulled her keys out of her bag but fumbled, the metal slipping from her fingers. Honey snagged them before they fell and deftly put the key in the lock, opening the door for Haruhi. Smiling gratefully she stepped through into the warmth of her home. A light spilled through from an open doorway deeper in the house.

"Thank you for bringing me home, Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai. I'd invite you in but..." she trailed off and Honey offered her a toothy grin.

"That's okay, Haru-chan. We just wanted to make sure you got back safe. Isn't that right, Takashi?"

"Ah," the tall boy agreed, his mouth turned in the smallest of smiles.

"Call us if you need anything. We'll see you at school on Monday. Bye, Haru-chan." Hugging her quickly with his usual enthusiasm, Honey dashed away with Mori following slowly behind, his hands in his pockets. He paused to look over his shoulder and watched as Haruhi shut the door behind them.

* * *

Haruhi slipped off her shoes and leaned back against the door. She only allowed herself a moment before straightening up and moving towards the kitchen.

"Dad, I'm home," she called into the quiet of the house. When she got no response, she moved into the living room and found him dressed in jogging bottoms and an old tee, but still with a full face of make-up and expertly styled hair, slumped on the table quietly snoring. Sighing, her smile bemused, Haruhi moved to shake him awake. "Come on, Dad, you'll be stiff if you sleep like that."

Ranka rubbed his eyes and looked blearily up at his daughter. "Haruhi, I wanted to wait up for you," he mumbled, his words slightly slurred from sleep. She helped him to his feet and he leaned heavily against her as she led him to his futon. "How was your date?"

Haruhi had planned to tell her father exactly how it had gone while she was in the full heat of her anger. It had quickly waned though and now she was just tired. There was no sense in worrying her father with it.

"It was fine, Dad. Let's get you to bed."

* * *

The date had started out well enough. Kyoya had taken Haruhi to an up-market restaurant; not somewhere she would have chosen herself but about what she expected from the Shadow King. The host showed them to their table and they ordered drinks before looking at the menu.

It had long been her experience that there were two members of the Host Club who suited Haruhi's distaste for superfluous conversation. That wasn't to say that she didn't enjoy listening to Honey-senpai wax lyrical about his love for all things sweet, or to have the twins partake in animated conversations with her - or around her - about whatever entertained them at the time. She had even got used to Tamaki-senpai's poetic language and tendencies for elaborate exaggeration. However, when it came down to it, she much preferred Mori-senpai's calm stoicism or Kyoya-senpai's carefully considered exchange.

As far as romance was concerned, she had never really allowed herself to think about it. She was at school to learn and that was that. Haruhi was a hard worker and it was difficult enough keeping herself top of the class - a necessity if she wanted to stay at Ouran Academy on her scholarship - with Host activities several times a week. A relationship was really out of the question and the attentions of any boys - or girls for that matter - either went unnoticed or unanswered.

That's why, when she had taken the calculated risk and accepted Kyoya's offer, she hadn't been expecting much of anything.

"Is there anything that particularly interests you on the menu, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked, an unusually playful glint in his eye. Haruhi had been a little put off that her copy of the menu had no prices listed. Not that she would necessarily chose her meal based on the price but still... she liked to know. Money had always been an issue for her. To not know the cost of something made her feel unsteady. Haruhi pushed the irritation aside. It was probably the norm for a place like this and it was just for the evening anyway.

Her eyes landed on the seafood section. "I think I'd like to try the otoro," she said with a smile. The thought of the fatty tuna alone was making her mouth water. How many times had she been promised and then denied the delicate flavour of the meaty fish? It was well past time the Shadow King made good on his promise. Kyoya didn't even try to hide his smirk.

"I suppose even you have to be predictable sometimes, Haru-chan," he teased. "The otoro is why I chose this restaurant in particular, after all. It has the finest in the region." Haruhi couldn't believe what was happening. Not only was Kyoya teasing her, he had actually taken her tastes into consideration when booking this restaurant - not just showing off his wealth as she had half expected - and to top it off, he called her 'chan'?

The waiter took their order and some ten minutes later they were eating their entrees, deep in conversation about the latest book that Haruhi was reading. Not that she hadn't already known but Haruhi was starting to appreciate just how cultured and intellectual Kyoya really was. He was a joy to converse with, ready with witty banter and well considered opinions alike. She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed one person's company quite so much. Perhaps pretending to date could be quite an agreeable experience. Perhaps, even, they could... but no. She was definitely getting ahead of herself.

It was with some surprise when she looked up from her own soup to find Kyoya offering her a taste of his Beef Carpaccio. There was a flutter deep in her stomach, an almost twisting, swooping sensation. _I hope I'm not getting sick_ , she thought to herself. _It would be a shame to miss out on the fatty tuna_.

When the meat brushed her lips, she couldn't control the blush that painted her face. It was surprisingly intimate to be fed by someone else in this way.

The meal continued without incident after that. The otoro was perfect and Haruhi was in heaven with every bite. How could it taste so much different from tuna she had from supermarket sushi? Each morsel melted on her tongue and she savoured every mouthful, completely unaware of the way Kyoya watched her.

Their plates were cleared and the sat quietly, perusing the dessert menu. Haruhi placed hers on the table. She wasn't really very interested in sweets but there was a strawberry tart that she might just indulge in. Looking up, Kyoya's eyes were already locked onto hers. He took one of her hands in his, his thumbs brushing across the knuckles causing a shiver to go down her spine. This feeling was alien to her. Her heart was racing - hopefully Kyoya wouldn't notice - and blood was rushing to her face. Her hands tingled wherever he touched.

"You know, Haruhi..." his next words were like ice water, dousing the rising heat in her body.

* * *

 **I'm really sorry if this chapter feels rushed. I can't even tell anymore. This is Haruhi's perspective, you'll get Kyoya's in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed!**


	9. Chapter 9

It had started so well. When Kyoya had handed that flower into Haruhi's hand he hadn't expected much of anything, really. A polite 'thank you', maybe even a smile; it was a flower, after all. Something transient that would lose its beauty as quickly as it had gained it. He certainly hadn't expected the pretty blush decorating her cheeks as she took it from him or just how the warmth of her smile would affect him. When he had invited her on this date he had done so with a notion of making the lie into something more real. It would be convenient to have someone to escort to functions with more substance than the society girls that his family usually associated with. Girls bred for looks and manners and little else. He found he had a lot in common with Haruhi and certainly wouldn't object to spending more time with her. It was an added bonus that she was objectively good looking.

The idea of having something to himself that so many others coveted also held an appeal.

But when her fingers had brushed his when she took the flower, and she smiled so prettily up at him, he had realised it was more baser than that.

He wanted Fujioka Haruhi.

On the drive to the restaurant they sat in silence but it was, for the most part, comfortable. They could have filled the space with nonsensical small talk - and in all honesty, Kyoya had been brought up to do just that in these types of social situations. It was what had made him such a good host when he deigned to entertain any of the myriad ladies who sought his company - but Kyoya was glad for the opportunity not to have to. He much preferred this way of passing the time. It only served to strengthen his notion of their compatibility.

Arriving at the restaurant, Kyoya was pleased to watch Haruhi's look of awe at the opulence. It gave him a pleasure that he did not fully understand to be the one to open this world of luxury to her, to be the one to give her a better quality of life.

"The building itself used to be a theatre. You see there," Kyoya gestured to what was now the back of the restaurant, "where the string quartet is. That was the stage and if you look up there," he motioned again and Haruhi looked up, just missing a flash of red hair and marvelling at the ornate carvings around the upper portion of the restaurant, "that is the mezzanine. I think it has a separate cocktail bar up there for non-diners."

"This is amazing Kyoya-sen... Kyoya," she blushed, dropping the honorific. "There's a real sense of history. And the architecture is so beautiful."

After the waiter took their order, they sat silently, sipping their drinks. Suddenly Kyoya found himself struggling for a topic of conversation. It was all he could do not to stare at her. The dress he had chosen for her suited her beyond his wildest expectations. It hadn't been before, but seeing Haruhi in that dress, royal blue became his new favourite colour. The way the richness of the hue brought out her eyes... he had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. When the tips of her ears started to redden, Kyoya realised he had failed in his attempt not to stare.

Luckily, he was saved by the arrival of their entrees.

The consumption of food had largely only ever been that for Kyoya. He ate for sustenance, not for enjoyment. He had never realised before just how much... _fun_... eating could be. Sharing food with Haruhi, playful flirting, even just watching the way she enjoyed her food. He was fascinated with the small peek of a pink tongue when the food disappeared behind plump lips. The noises she made when she found something especially delicious was practically sinful. It was enough that Kyoya had to take in a calming breath.

Once the first course was cleared, Haruhi started a new topic of conversation, one that had clearly been playing on her mind.

"How exactly do you think things will change at school for us? Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad you brought me here tonight, I'm having a lot of fun with you se... Kyoya. I really don't mind pretending we're dating at all, but as far as the rest of the school is concerned, I'm a boy, so it's not like we'd need to pretend in front of them. It's only really for the others' benefit, isn't it?" Haruhi absent-mindedly swirled her drink, the ice tinkling. "Do you think we need to behave any differently?"

Kyoya took a considering sip of his own drink, uncertain of exactly how to play this out. Of course he planned out the possible outcomes to each choice he could make. Which would be the best option? For the time being, he decided to play it safe and allow her to lead the conversation.

"I suppose that's at your discretion. I think some things would have to change a little, it would be unconvincing if we resumed as we always have, however the degree of intimacy you wish to portray is up to you. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. Casual touches, whispered conversations, I could escort you home. Isn't that the usual in these sorts of circumstances?"

"An interesting thought, in its own way." Haruhi quipped, tilting her head to the side, her eyes closing under the force of her smile.

Struck with just how beautiful, how witty and just how simply... Haruhi... she was, Kyoya finally found the courage to speak his mind. He wanted to be with her, as more than just a farce, and by all accounts, it seemed that she wouldn't be unreceptive to the idea. Emboldened by her dazzling smile - a smile that was directed at him and him alone, much to the detriment of his usually unaffected heart - Kyoya reached across the table, taking one of her delicate, soft and definitely feminine hands - honestly, how it had taken some so long to figure out the truth was beyond him - into both of his. He threw caution to the wind.

"You know, Haruhi," he spoke calmly, as if commenting on the weather. "I know that this... affiliation... came about as a ruse to hide the fact that your debt had been cleared, however, I think that it would be in both of our interests if we were to cement this relationship as real. Our personalities complement each other, and I certainly find your company less abhorrent than the girls who visit the Host Club." Kyoya adjusted his glasses and smiled in what he must have assumed to be a charming fashion.

"I don't think I quite understand what you mean, Kyoya-senpai." She said, removing her hand from his so that she could pick up her own glass.

"What I mean, Haruhi, is that it would be only logical if you and I were to become lovers. I think it would be in your best interests as well. The Otori group is very far reaching and it would make advancing in any potential future career easy for you. I believe that, while your commoner background is something of a hindrance, and certainly something that I had to consider before making this decision, your perseverance and dedication to your studies as well as your innate intelligence will overcome that and with a little schooling in etiquette, you could fit quite well within the right circles. It's obviously still too early to discuss marriage..."

Cut back to Haruhi throwing her drink in Kyoya's face and leaving the restaurant.

Kyoya steadily picked up his napkin, waving away the ever-vigilant serving staff as they hovered around him desperate to help an Otori in any way they could. Removing his glasses he polished the lenses and calmly set them to one side before mopping all the moisture from his face, grateful that Haruhi had only been drinking water. All through his controlled movements, his mind was reeling as he tried to figure out what had gone wrong. They had been having a perfectly reasonable conversation, and a delightful evening by all accounts. She was certainly logical enough to see the benefits of his proposal. He really couldn't understand what had set off such a negative reaction in her.

* * *

Stepping into his room, Kyoya closed the door behind him, relishing the darkness as it pressed in on him. There was something soothing about the lack of light, as if the entire world had disappeared, and his worries along with it. He was no longer the third son, never quite measuring up to his older brothers, not even in the running to succeed as the head of the Otori house. The Host Club didn't exist with its constant dramas and Tamaki's harebrained schemes that were a constant strain on the finances. He could even pretend that tonight's date hadn't happened, the utter shambles that it had somehow turned into. In the darkness of his room he was just Kyoya.

The peaceful reflection only lasted a few moments but reality wouldn't wait and, with the knowledge of the multitude of tasks that were waiting for him between school work, planning for Club activities and managing stocks for his own company, Kyoya flicked on the light.

"Why did you lie about dating Haruhi, Kyoya?"

His face remained impassive save for a small tightening in his jaw as he made his way over to his coffee table where he had left his laptop. Picking it up he turned to where Tamaki lounged across his bed.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for being patient with me. Hopefully I didn't labour that too much. I tried to get in Kyoya's perspective without rehashing the same points. I promised to post this last week and I hope you can forgive my tardiness. Unfortunately sometimes life gets in the way. Hopefully that shouldn't be the case this week and I will post again in a timely manner. See you next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Not to be rude, Tamaki, but I've had a long night and I have a lot of work to do. Thank you for taking the time to come and see me but if you could please leave now, I'd be much obliged."

Kyoya turned his back on the blonde and sat cross-legged on the floor, powering up his laptop and deliberately ignoring the muted sound of Tamaki rolling off his bed. He bit back the relieved sigh at Tamaki's easy departure but couldn't suppress the sound of surprise when the man in question suddenly threw himself at Kyoya's back, wrapping his arms around Kyoya's neck. "What the hell do you-"

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Kyoya, I don't think you really believed you would," Tamaki sing-songed in his ear. _Why is this idiot always so cheerful? It's annoying._

Kyoya shrugged his shoulders, simultaneously trying to show nonchalance and dislodge his clinging best friend.

"So come on, tell me what's going on, Kyoya. I'm not leaving until you tell me everything."

"I really don't know what you're talking about. Please leave."

The only warning he received was a scoff from Tamaki before he was flat on his back, the blonde looming menacingly over him. Glasses askew, hair dishevelled and the horrified look on his face almost broke Tamaki's composure. But his anger was stronger than his amusement.

"I don't really care if you think this is none of my business, I don't care if you don't want to talk about it," Tamaki's face was set, his tone measured, "I'm not going anywhere until we've talked this through. I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing with Haruhi, but I won't stand for you hurting her. Now, talk."

This was a side to Tamaki that Kyoya had never seen before. Of course the boy showed an occasional serious side, and often showed himself to be unexpectedly perceptive, but this fierce determination brooked no argument and Kyoya was at a bit of a loss as how to proceed. He looked up at his friend slack-jawed for a moment before gritting his teeth and allowing his anger to take over. It wasn't often he allowed his emotions free reign but there was something about Tamaki always found the right buttons to press.

"Are you sure it's not just because you're in love with her yourself, Tamaki?"

He shoved Tamaki off and glared at him, daring him to deny his words. Tamaki just sat there, staring him out until finally, "Tch, fine." Kyoya couldn't hold Tamaki's eyes anymore and looked across the room at nothing in particular. "We're only pretending to be dating."

Tamaki raised an eyebrow, urging Kyoya to continue.

"I'm not going to tell you why, but I decided that it would seem more realistic if we went on an actual date. Obviously you were there so I don't need to explain how that went..."

Tamaki had been there and he didn't really want to explore the ugly feeling in his chest as he had watched the two of them acting like lovers. That was until it became clear that they weren't.

"What did you say that was so bad that she threw her drink at you?"

Kyoya cleared his throat, a slash of colour across his face caused by a mixture of embarrassment and frustration over the situation.

"I... ahem... I suggested that we start dating as more than just a ruse."

Tamaki smirked. It was obvious that Kyoya liked Haruhi but admitting an emotional response was always uncomfortable for him. It wasn't something Tamaki really understood, why deny the world your emotions when they brought colour to life? Buy Kyoya was Kyoya and Tamaki took a small amount of sadistic pleasure in seeing his friend outside of his comfort zone.

"Come on Kyoya, that can't be all. Haruhi is sweet and caring, understanding, beautiful..." he was getting off point. "She wouldn't have rejected you so harshly."

"I really don't see what else she could have objected to. I told her she was intelligent and hard working, that being associated with a Otori could help her future prospects as a lawyer. Obviously marriage is not something either of us is ready to discuss yet-"

Tamaki flushed bright red. "M-m-marriage?"

"But that is something I would naturally have to consider as a future prospect if I want to take this relationship seriously. It's certainly something my father will be considering."

Kyoya took in Tamaki's shocked expression. He tapped a finger on his lip ponderously. "It was probably when I mentioned marriage that she threw her drink, come to think of it. Although I did say it wasn't something I was expecting right now..."

"Seriously?"

"But considering how far she has come from her commoner background already, I definitely think that she will make a suitable wife for me one day."

Tamaki's jaw dropped. "Did you say that to her as well..?"

Kyoya frowned, his brow creasing in puzzlement. "Well, not in so many words, but-"

"Not in so many words, he says," Tamaki chortled, one hand coming up to cover his eyes. He brushed his hair back and looked Kyoya dead in the eyes.

"You..." he paused dramatically, pointing a finger at the unimpressed boy before him, "are a complete idiot Otori Kyoya."

"Wh-what?"

"I may not know why you two decided to fake this relationship but I can tell you one thing. I've never seen Haruhi look as happy as she has done these past few days. And I've seen the way she looks at you," Tamaki said, his expression softening. Kyoya pushed his glasses up his nose, lenses flashing.

 _But then... isn't that just because her debt is paid? Because she's staying in the club that she has come to enjoy? It doesn't really have anything to do with me._

Tamaki rose to leave. "You'd better fix things with her soon. If she leaves the Host Club because of this I'll make sure you're sorry." Tamaki's expression had turned hard once again. Kyoya didn't say anything, his eyes avoiding his best friend. A sly smirk tilted the corner of Tamaki's mouth. He waved his hand in the air with a flourish, adopting a carefree attitude. "Shame. Oh well, not to worry, Kyoya. I'm sure the twins will be round to comfort Haruhi tomorrow. If not, maybe I will? We wouldn't want to leave her all alone when you've upset her like this." Tamaki smiled over his shoulder, giving a small wave before closing the door behind himself. Not a moment too soon, as a thump from the other side suggested Kyoya had tried to throw something at him.

Tamaki left in a far better mood than when he had arrived.

* * *

 **Damn my fujoshi heart. It took all I had not to have Tamaki kiss Kyoya. Bad Mira. This is not that kind of fic. Behave yourself, this isn't yaoi (I do kinda ship these two though). Maybe Kyoya is starting to get a clue? I think, the way he interpreted the conversation with Haruhi to Tamaki is genuinely how he thought the things he said came across.**


	11. Chapter 11

Haruhi was busy cleaning up after breakfast when her father left to run some errands. Wearing a casual sun dress, his hair and makeup immaculate but not overdone, he looked beautiful as he kissed her on the cheek and breezed out of the door. Briefly there was the sound of muted voices greeting each other before the door clicked shut and Haruhi breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she didn't like having her dad around, of course she did, she loved him. But he was naturally very nosy when it came to anything to do with her and the incessant questioning he had subjected her to that morning - and the subsequent evading on her part - left her exhausted. It was barely ten o'clock.

Her relief was short lived, however.

"Mornin' Haruhi," came the cheery voices of Hikaru and Kaoru. The twins came into view, waving merrily with smiles to match.

Sighing heavily, Haruhi put away her cleaning supplies and put the kettle on to boil. Busying herself the cups and leaves she paid no attention to her uninvited house guests.

The boys gave each other a pointed look before slinking up behind her. Hikaru wrapped one arm around her waist, the other hand entwining her fingers with his, drawing her hand towards his mouth. Kaoru slipped his arm around her waist from the other side, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"What's up?" she asked, oblivious as ever to the mood they were trying to strike. She looked nonplussed first at Kaoru then at his brother.

"Hey, Haruhi, come and play with us," Hikaru said, letting his lips brush across her knuckles.

"I'm making tea. Go and sit down over there and I'll be with you soon." Haruhi gestured vaguely towards the low table in the other room, forcing Hikaru to drop her hand, which he did, regrettably, and with a pout.

Kaoru decided to take the initiative. They had come to Haruhi's home with a plan that day. They would make Haruhi see them as potential dating material. They had all but given up on Haruhi since she was dating Kyoya, but after that fiasco of a date the night before...

"Haruhi, let's go out together!"

Haruhi frowned slightly. "You only just got here and now you want to go out? I just started to make the tea."

Hikaru leaned casually against the kitchen side. "Not now, some other time."

"We could go for a walk on the beach,"

"There's no beaches near here, but maybe on a trip?"

"But then if you didn't want to travel far maybe we could go and see a movie?"

"Perhaps to a carnival?"

"Or the zoo?"

"Ooh, let's go for ice cream!"

Haruhi held up her hands, stopping their furious debate in its tracks. Her face had lost some of its colour and her eyes were large and uncomprehending. "What are you talking about?"

"Taking you out on a date, of course," they exclaimed together, clasping each other's hands and looking at her with hearts practically shining out of their eyes.

Haruhi only became more baffled, and then a little annoyed. They'd done things like this in the past, teasing her and trying to rile her up. It was all part of treating people like toys and she thought they'd got past that, with her at any rate. The fact that they were playing with her again as if she were their personal doll was aggravating to say the least. "Stop messing around, you two. Can't you be serious?"

"Who's to say we're not being serious?" Hikaru asked, tilting his head.

"I think we're being very serious," Kaoru agreed.

Haruhi furrowed her brow, she scrutinised each of their features in turn, trying to find any hint of dishonesty.

"Well, whether you are or not, I could never pick between the two of you, so this conversation is moot."

"We thought you might say that,"

"But maybe you don't have to pick,"

"You could have,"

"Both of us," they said in unison.

"B-both of you?" Haruhi squeaked, the back of her neck and her ears turning bright red. "What are you talking about? I can't date both of you, you're being completely ridiculous. Anyway, look, the thing is, even if Kyoya and I had a bad date last night, that doesn't mean I'm looking for another relationship." Haruhi managed to regain her composure. Half-made tea forgotten, she grabbed each of them by the arm and started marching them towards the door. "Besides, you two are basically my best friends," she stopped manhandling them and stood facing them, her back to the entryway.

It wasn't often that Haruhi really considered the friendship she had fostered with Hikaru and Kaoru. Fostered may be the wrong word. Had foist upon her would be more accurate. That being said, she was grateful for the chance to get to know them. They were silly, often annoying, selfish and overbearing. They were sweet, generous - both with their money and their affections when it came to Haruhi - and a lot deeper than they made themselves out to be. Clearing her debt had really allowed her to take stock of exactly how she felt about each of the boys in her life, and just how much they had all changed her for the better.

She had come to Ouran thinking she would keep her head down, focus on her studies and mostly keep herself away from troublesome encounters with other students. That kind of thing would only get in her way and distract her from her goal. Haruhi almost laughed aloud at those long forgotten ideals. The best laid plans of mice and men...

Hikaru and Kaoru almost buckled under the sudden weight of Haruhi throwing her arms around the both of them.

"I don't think I've ever thanked you for everything you've done for me. I really do like you both so much," she confessed, muffled words pressed into their shoulders. "Don't let that get to your heads though."

They both drew back to look at her, smiles quickly replacing solemn expressions so that Haruhi almost thought she had imagined... whatever she saw in their eyes.

"As if we would," Hikaru chuckled, ruffling Haruhi's hair as she let out a squawk of protest.

"We already know how great we are, we don't need you to tell us," Kaoru added.

"So, if you ever realise that Kyoya isn't good enough for you, you know you've got better right here," Hikaru winked, gesturing to his brother and himself.

Haruhi rolled her eyes and opened the door with a soft smile, seeing them through it.

"I'll see you at school." And then the door was closed firmly behind them.

They offered each other a bright smile and an unconcerned shrug.

"Ah well," Hikaru lamented, "it was worth a shot."

Kaoru hummed in agreement, automatically reaching for his brother's hand, Hikaru accepting it readily.

* * *

Tamaki noticed the sleek, understated car as he approached Haruhi's home. He probably wouldn't have noticed had he not been deliberately looking out for something like this. Watching as twin heads of orange were pushed out of the door and then waiting until they slunk off out of sight, Tamaki grinned to himself and made his way to her front door.

An harassed looking Haruhi answered, a twitch prominent above her left eye.

"Just go home alre- Oh, it's you, Tamaki-senpai."

* * *

Kyoya held the phone to his ear, his usually implacable features tense.

"Okay, thank you, Hotta, that will be all. You may go home now." Without waiting for a reply Kyoya ended the call. He might feel bad about acting so rudely to one of his staff later, but his annoyance was forefront in his mind. He refused to call it jealousy.

It had been just as Tamaki said, _that arrogant_... Both the Hitachiin's and Tamaki had gone to "comfort" Haruhi. They really had wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation. Not that Kyoya thought Haruhi would fall for such obvious ploys. If she had wanted any of them before, she would have just had to say the word.

Then again, it wasn't like she had said anything to Kyoya in the past either...

Kyoya let out a frustrated shout, pushing his hands into his hair and gripping the strands tightly, the sting intended to distract him failing miserably. His chance with Haruhi was quickly slipping away and he had no idea how to stop it. One thing that was certain, none of the others would be taking that chance from him.

* * *

 **Have a bit of Hitachiin angst. Who the hell knows where I'm going with this. Thank you for sticking with me though.**


	12. Chapter 12

Kyoya noted, with no small amount of irritation, that he couldn't seem to walk into his own room at the moment without someone else being there. This time, it was Fuyumi. Typically, several items of his clothing were strewn across the floor. He rubbed one temple in irritation.

"Fuyumi-neesan, could you please leave my clothes alone?" he sighed, crossing the room and taking his usual place on the floor next to his table. His sister ignored his complaints, attempting to rearrange his drawer for better efficiency and failing spectacularly as the pile only grew larger. Out of the corner of her eye she watched him, the tense lines of his back and the slight shadows under his eyes. It wasn't by coincidence that she was there.

"You seem to be down at the moment, little brother, I don't suppose it has anything to do with that girl you went on a date with?"

He was bowed over his bag, retrieving his notebook but at her words Kyoya's head snapped up. There was a sharp pain in his neck and he immediately regretted reacting so impulsively to her prying question when she giggled.

"You think I wouldn't know when my little brother went on a date? It isn't exactly a common occurrence, of course word would get out."

He eyed her wearily, one eyebrow raised questioningly. Her knowing smile was infuriating, but not quite as much as discovering his 'date' was being used as fodder for gossip.

"Tanaka Narumi-san saw you there. Having a drink thrown in your face... I don't think anyone thought they would ever see that happen to an Otori, or that anyone would dare to do it." Fuyumi's voice was teasing and Kyoya scowled. He studiously looked at the notes he had pulled out of his school bag, not really seeing any of it.

"The matter is of little concern to me either way. We tried, we were incompatible. It was an experiment that produced unsatisfactory results and that's all there is to it. Now if you would kindly stop trying to tidy my clothes away and leave me in peace, I have homework that needs doing."

Kyoya was determined to reveal as little as possible, but it was to no avail. Of all his siblings, he had always been closest with Fuyumi, and as a result she knew him best.

"I'm betting you said something 'logical' didn't you?" Fuyumi almost laughed when Kyoya avoided her gaze. "You know, when it comes to love, logic has very little to do with it. Father may want us to pair off with someone he deems suitable, but is that what you want? To let him pull your strings so you dance to his tune and one day marry some pretty little airhead with more money than sense? If you like her, show her honestly. If you try to think your way through it, neither one of you will get what you really want and you'll both end up getting hurt."

Which is exactly what he had been trying to avoid.

"Look Kyo, you can hide behind your glasses and your cold expressions all you want, I know you better than that. You say you don't care either way? You're lying. I can tell that this girl means something to you. You've done something to hurt her, you need to fix it," Fuyumi let an uncharacteristic smirk curl her lips. "Or is there finally a problem the great Otori Kyoya cannot solve?"

Kyoya made no response save for the tightening of one fist. The giggle slipped past Fuyumi's lips unchecked before she unsuccessfully disguised it behind a cough.

"Go to her and explain yourself properly. Consider how she might be feeling. Woo her and win her over," Fuyumi stood and stretched, her muscles having gone stiff from all the folding. She walked over to Kyoya and placed her hand on his shoulder. At the brief touch, Kyoya snapped. He whipped around, his eyes wild, standing to face his sister.

"And then? What if she rejects me? I'll make a complete fool out of myself just for her to turn me down. There's more than just a possible relationship at stake here. This affects the club as well. I've calculated the risk and it isn't worth the potential fallout." Kyoya's breath came in short puffs, as if he had just run a marathon. His face was red, his fists and teeth clenched and it was the most honest emotion Fuyumi had ever seen Kyoya show.

She brought her hand up to gently cup his cheek, smoothing the lines that bracketed his mouth and gave him a sweet smile. "This. This is how you know it's worth it."

* * *

Honey was the first to approach Haruhi on the Monday, a silent Mori following behind. She had come in to the club room as normal, gone to the kitchen to arrange sandwiches, setting the water to boil for tea and coffee and come back in to take her usual seat.

Honey sat, his face alight with his usual exuberance as he picked up a plate of his favourite strawberry cake, the fork halfway to his mouth before he had even settled onto the chair. Swallowing his first mouthful, Honey turned a beaming smile towards the disguised female.

"Haru-chan! This cake sure is yummy. How are you today?"

Haruhi's answering smile was warm, but didn't quite reach her eyes. His own smile dropped slightly but he forced it back. Another bite of cake certainly didn't hurt his efforts.

"I'm fine thank you, Honey-senpai. How are you?" Haruhi replied, her words coming out stiff and formal.

After a few minutes of strained conversation, Honey's sunny disposition had wilted, his mouth slowly sliding to a frown. He finally lapsed into a very uncharacteristic silence while he munched on his cake. The entry of their first round of guests saved him from trying to get out of the awkward encounter. With a quick "See you later, Haru-chan!" he scampered off, a concerned Mori following behind.

The host session proceeded as normal, and none of the girls sensed anything amiss. If the boys shot more concerned glances towards Haruhi than usual it went unnoticed. If the hosts performed a little less, gave the girls a little less attention, no one paid it any mind. The atmosphere was certainly off though and the guests didn't linger the way they usually would.

At the end of the session, Haruhi stood, cleaned her station and picked up her bag. Calmly, she walked over to where Tamaki still sat, an envelope clutched in her hand. Tamaki eyed the white paper warily before his violet eyes met her chocolate ones.

Clutching the envelope in both hands, Haruhi bowed formally, pushing it towards him. Gingerly he took it but didn't open it. "What's this?"

"This is my official resignation from the host club. My debt has been fully paid off and while I am grateful for the opportunities you have presented me with, I feel it is time for me to move on. Thank you for taking care of me."

Stunned silence followed Haruhi's declaration. Nobody dared move and none really had any clue what to say, least of all the Shadow King. For the first time in a very long time, Kyoya was drawing a blank. In fact, the last time he felt like this was when he first met Tamaki. His reaction then had been to laugh. The hysterical impulse almost overtook him again before he clamped it down. He had enough of his faculties functioning to know that that was an inappropriate response here. Instead, he schooled his features into a mask of indifference and pushed his glasses up his nose to avoid the curious glances of the others. The hysteria quickly subsided only to be replaced with the cold feeling of lead in the pit of his stomach. With some distress he noted the slight shaking of his hand and he slipped it into his pocket to hide it. Refusing to watch, his gaze remained steadfast yet unseeing at a spot on the far side of the room. Despite this, in his peripheral vision he tracked her every move as she slipped wordlessly out of the door.

* * *

 **Just to say, I know at the end of the last chapter Kyoya was determined to not let any of the Hosts have a chance with Haruhi, I still think he might have some insecurities about it which is why he snapped with Fuyumi like that. I think this is especially the case as Haruhi is one of the few people that don't act the way Kyoya predicts and it would make him more insecure.**


	13. Chapter 13

Kyoya was the last to leave the clubroom, staying behind to work through some of the accounts. The silence after the turmoil of the day was comforting and instead of working, he found himself replaying Haruhi's leaving. He felt sick, desperate to take action but afraid to. But then, at this point, what did he have to lose? Still, the near certainty of rejection felt like weights holding him down. Was Fuyumi right? Was feeling like this proof that the end result would be worth it? He didn't know. He'd never felt this way before and the fear of the unknown was crippling.

In the quiet, the almost imperceptible creak of the door opening was unusually loud and Kyoya was snapped out of his musings to find Honey standing in the doorway. Mori was conspicuous in his absence.

"Honey-senpai, I didn't expect you to still be here. Did you forget something or - ?"

Honey moved further into the room, his expression grave, his eyes shadowed. Kyoya noticed that he wasn't holding Usa-chan and was reminded that despite appearances, Honey was indeed older than him. It was a little disconcerting.

"Actually, I came to talk to you, Kyo-chan." The addition of 'chan' at the end of his name did little to quell his sense of unease. In fact, the way Honey was talking and moving seemed almost... threatening.

Kyoya maintained his expression, pushing his glasses further up his nose and closing his laptop - he really wasn't getting anywhere with work that evening anyway.

"About?" he enquired, steepling his fingers together.

"I think you probably know but I'll explain it anyway. Haruhi is very important to the group. She is very important to me and I think she is very important to you, Kyo-chan." As he spoke, Honey got closer to where Kyoya was sat until he was stood next to him, his hands tucked into his pockets, his steely gaze unwavering. Despite the fact that Honey was no taller than Kyoya while the younger was sat down, Kyoya still felt intimidated by Honey's aura.

"Get her back. I don't care how you do it. Get down on your knees and beg if you have to, but if you do not bring her back to us, I promise that every member of your family's secret police will not be enough to protect you."

And with those words Honey turned on his heel and strode out of the room, calmly opening the door and letting it click quietly shut behind him. All the while Kyoya just stared after him, dumbfounded.

* * *

Kyoya didn't really notice the faces of the other patrons of the restaurant, their presence somewhat insignificant to him. He had a vague impression that he knew some of them, and that they were probably the other boys of the host club, but he couldn't bring himself to care about those details. Music played gently in the background and lights danced off of the crystal chandeliers dangling so far overhead but all of these details faded into insignificance when compared to the beauty that was Haruhi, smiling brightly just for him.

The blue of her dress really offset her eyes. Kyoya didn't think he'd ever seen anything more beautiful than those chocolate orbs surrounded by thick, sooty lashes. Even now, she shone like a star even surrounded by all this opulence and with a face unadorned with makeup. Such a visage should never by hidden by cosmetics anyway.

Kyoya didn't know when he had started speaking but suddenly he found himself uttering the word 'marriage'. Haruhi was looking at him with such wide eyed surprise and he couldn't really blame her, he was just as taken aback. They were too young for marriage. He had not long turned seventeen and he had almost a year on her. Both of them had years of education ahead of them. Thoughts like 'husband' and 'wife' should have been far from his mind, yet he realised with startling clarity that it was a journey he wanted to take with Haruhi at some point.

Kyoya was still talking though, and Haruhi's expression was morphing from surprise to shock to disgust and anger.

Why? What was happening? The words leaving his mouth were fading to white noise. None of it made any sense.

With a splash of cold water to his face, Kyoya snapped to his senses. Panting, he found himself sat upright in bed, the room dark and silent. The sheets were tangled around him and he could feel a layer of cold sweat covering his body. He levered his legs out of bed, struggling slightly against his bindings as he did so. His feet finding his slippers automatically, and he padded across the floor to his en suite bathroom. As he walked he undid the buttons of his silk nightshirt, discarding it in the laundry basket before turning on the shower.

Kyoya hadn't checked the time, although he assumed it was very early morning based on the fact that he couldn't even hear any servants moving around the household yet. Not that it was unusual for Kyoya to be awake at any hour of day, although usually if he was awake this early it was because he hadn't been to bed yet.

It was rare for him to remember his dreams but this one was painted vividly in his mind and as he stepped under the flow of hot water, he recalled the details of it.

Haruhi had been angry, that was a given. The dream had played out almost exactly the same way the date had in real life. The difference was the focus. Where before he had taken in every detail of the scene, catalogued every minute aspect of the restaurant and the fellow diners around him, in the dream he hadn't been able to give attention to any of that, only himself and, more importantly, Haruhi, had been the centre of his awareness. Even thinking back over the dream, his mind's eye lingered on the dewy plumpness of her pink lips and the limpid pools of her eyes. Kyoya was a little put off by the poetic nature of his own thoughts. He blamed it on the sleep that still clung to the corners of his mind.

When he turned the shower off he was hit suddenly with the words that he had been speaking. The sounds which had faded to white noise were now thundering in his ears to the point where he couldn't escape them.

 _"_ _I certainly find your company less abhorrent than other girls."_

 _"...only logical if you and I were to become lovers... it would be in your best interests."_

 _"... your commoner background is something of a hindrance... with a little schooling in etiquette, you could fit quite well within the right circles..."_

Had he really said those things to her? It was unbelievable that throwing her drink was all she had done to him. He had been a host for long enough to know how to talk properly to women. Tamaki would be ashamed that his best friend had so little tact. Whenever it came to Haruhi, he always felt more relaxed, as if he could act like his real self. As it turned out, his 'real self' happened to be an arrogant, conceited imbecile with more money than sense and little better than the insipid sycophants that surrounded his family. At least _they_ managed to use flattery to get what they wanted, even if it was false. In truth, while he believed the things he said to be mostly true, they did not reflect the way he actually felt about Haruhi and the compliments were heavily back-handed to say the least. He really was a moron.

With a sickened twist to his stomach, Kyoya accepted that he would not be going back to sleep and that it would be better for him to prepare for the day. And that meant coming up with a plan to win Haruhi over. He wanted her back at the club, he wanted her back at his side. He wanted her. It was a realisation that he had come to before, but perhaps this time he could be honest with her, and with himself, about just what it was he wanted. He owed a lot of people that much at least.

His sister's taunting words came back at him and while he didn't think of Haruhi as merely a challenge to overcome, it was certainly the case that he wouldn't back down from something he cared about.

* * *

 **I hope Honey didn't seem too OOC in this. I kind of channelled him from 'Attack of the Lady Manager' when he played a thug type and also a bit from when he seriously fights people. I hope this came across okay. In the next chapter I'm going to bring the focus back to Haruhi. I think I've been neglecting her a bit. I think there might be 2 or 3 chapters left after this one so we are coming to the close. Thank you everyone that's kept with me through this. It's been a challenge.**


	14. Chapter 14

The next day only Hikaru and Kaoru saw Haruhi and when any of the club members asked about her they replied with a shrug, sticking their tongues out. Naturally, Haruhi's regulars were quite put out at discovering their favourite host had resigned without a word to any of them. It fell to Kyoya to placate the distressed girls. He stood, putting his beloved notebook to one side and pushing his glasses further up his nose self-importantly. Without a word he garnered the attention of the whole room.

"Ladies, I offer you my deepest apologies at this time. I understand it is quite unbefitting of a host to abandon you without so much as a word of goodbye. However, I hope you can understand that what with the upcoming exams, as an honour student, Haruhi relies on having the highest passing grade in order to remain studying here at Ouran Academy. It is our greatest hope and expectation that after this brief... sabbatical, Haruhi will be back with us and ready to entertain all you fine ladies once more."

Kyoya was nothing if not prepared. If the idea of sleeping outside wasn't so abhorrent to him, he would have made an excellent boy scout.

"At this time, please refrain from approaching him unnecessarily. Obviously treat him as you normally would in class. On behalf of Haruhi and ourselves, we thank you for your cooperation."

By the time all the guests had left for home, everyone but the twins were exhausted from putting on false expressions of cheer. Kaoru and Hikaru, however, practically skipped out the door arm in arm. The reason why became clear as the rest of the hosts watched them usher an unresisting Haruhi into their car and drive away. Kyoya was the only one not to stay and watch.

* * *

"I thought we were supposed to be studying?" Haruhi directed her question towards where Hikaru was lounging on his back across the bed, holding a manga open above his head. Every line of his body from his artfully messy hair to his sockless feet hinted at his lazy disinterest in the topic at hand. Haruhi sighed and turned her attention to the other brother who was sat cross-legged beside her by the table.

"Kaoru, have you solved the problem on page..." she cut herself off when she realised Kaoru was paying about as much attention as Hikaru as he scrolled through Tumblr on his phone. She sighed and closed her own book. Normally she would just ignore them and carry on studying but truth be told, she wasn't really in the mood for it either.

As if the muffled sound of pages meeting was a signal, suddenly the boys were on either side of her, entertainment magically disappeared. Haruhi startled, her eyes widening.

"Umm... everything okay, guys?" she asked as they pressed in closer. It wasn't unusual. When it came to Haruhi, they were surprisingly tactile. Still, the expectant look on their faces left her feeling uneasy.

"You know, Haruhi, everyone was asking after you today," Kaoru commented. It would have seemed offhand if not for the way he was staring intently at her.

"Not that we said anything," Hikaru piped in. "You should have seen the look on Tono's face!"

Haruhi twisted her lips into an apologetic half-pout but didn't say anything.

"Honey-senpai seemed sad. I think he missed you," Kaoru pressed, propping his chin on the palm of his hand. "Mori-senpai too."

"How could you tell?" Hikaru asked, tilting his head to one side.

"I guess you can't really, but if Honey-senpai is sad, Mori-senpai probably is too."

Hikaru hummed in agreement. Again they turned pointed looks at her, this time a little more impatiently. Haruhi struggled to come up with a response.

"Umm... I guess I missed seeing them today but it's not like I'd have spent loads of time with them anyway. I'd have been busy hosting. Besides, it's only been one day..."

"Yes, hosting," Hikaru mused. "The girls missed you as well." Kaoru nodded enthusiastically on her other side.

"Ah, well, I hope I haven't caused too many problems. I'm sure my regulars can just see one of the others. It's no big deal," Haruhi's brow furrowed thoughtfully and she looked down to where her fingers twisted the hem of her un-tucked shirt. "Although I did leave without saying anything to them," she realised. "That was pretty rude of me."

Hikaru and Kaoru shared a sly grin behind her back, quickly fixing their faces into consoling expressions when she looked up.

"Yes, very rude," Hikaru agreed.

"Isn't it lucky Kyoya-senpai was prepared?" Kaoru said as Hikaru nodded along sagely, his arms folded across his chest.

Haruhi started slightly at the mention of Kyoya's name but quickly shrugged it off. "Oh?"

"Wait, Kaoru, I really don't think Haruhi wants to hear about Kyoya-senpai," Hikaru admonished. "Let's talk about something else."

"Ah, you're right, Hikaru. Sorry, Haruhi."

Haruhi frowned at them. "It's fine, really."

"You should have been there today, Haruhi. Tamaki was flirting with Suzuki Nagisa-chan from class 1C when he slipped on a banana skin -"

"I wonder where that appeared from-" Kaoru interjected.

"And fell over the sofa, knocking the tea set all over the floor. You should have seen the look on Kyo... ah... never mind."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "You can say his name, you know. It's okay."

Hikaru and Kaoru both waved their hands in front of their faces as though brushing away her assurances.

"Let's do something," Hikaru said.

"Why don't we get a snack?" Kaoru suggested, moving to stand.

"Great idea," Hikaru agreed. "Talking of snacks, didn't Honey eat a lot more cake than usual today? I thought Kyoya-senpai was going to-" he broke off, slapping a hand across his mouth. "Oops! Sorry, Haruhi. We weren't going to mention Kyoya-senpai..."

"It's really not a big deal. You don't need to walk on eggshells about it. Obviously you see him every day, I don't mind if you talk about Kyoya-senpai." Haruhi answered them.

Hikaru sighed dramatically. "Kyoya, Kyoya, Kyoya. We didn't realise you wanted to talk about him so badly!"

Kaoru sat back down having called for a snack.

"Wai- what?" I didn't mean that I -"

"It's fine, we understand," Kaoru said, patting her on the shoulder. "We'll talk about Kyoya-senpai if that's what you want."

Haruhi's face started to turn red. She glanced at the door although she knew there was little hope for escape.

"We really don't need to talk about Kyoya, you know," she protested, although she knew it was in vain. "I'm over it. I'm just glad that now I have time to focus on my studies."

Kaoru and Hikaru shared a look.

"He seemed sad today," Hikaru said, his playful demeanour turning serious.

"Definitely not his usual self," Kaoru agreed, equally sombre.

"And you too, Haruhi. You don't seem to be as happy as usual."

"Or rather, you're acting like you did when we first met you," Kaoru finished before they both fell silent, watching her tentatively. Haruhi, for her part, was surprised about how quickly the mood had changed. And was she really so different now to when she first walked in to music room number three? Or at least before this whole situation with Kyoya. She didn't remember feeling this way back then. A little sad sometimes, sure, but also this persistent feeling of _loneliness_? It wasn't something she had even recognised in herself back then. Now, even though she had Hikaru and Kaoru, she missed the others. She really didn't think she would.

And she missed Kyoya.

"What's happening with you and Kyoya-senpai?" Kaoru asked and Haruhi jolted nervously. She'd suspected the Shadow King of having psychic abilities in the past but did the twins as well? Mentally she laughed at her overactive imagination. Kaoru had just always been more perceptive than others.

"Happening? Nothing's happening. We were dating, now we're not. Simple as that. No hard feelings."

"If that was true you wouldn't have quit the club. What aren't you telling us?" Hikaru pressed.

Haruhi opened her mouth to answer, but no words formed on her tongue. A knock at the door saved her from trying to find an answer that would satisfy their curiosity. Kaoru reluctantly got to his feet, throwing Haruhi a look that assured her the conversation wasn't over. Haruhi felt some relief however. The boys could be easily distracted and the appearance of food was one sure fire way to do that. Her reprieve was short lived. Where Haruhi had expected to see a maid holding a tray of food - half of which Haruhi suspected she would never even have heard of - there stood someone completely different.

It's true what they say, speak of the hypertensive devil and he will appear.

* * *

 **It's been a while, sorry about that. We're not quite done yet (soon) and I will stick with this til the end.**


	15. Chapter 15

**It's been 6 weeks since I last posted, I'm so sorry about that. I've just started working back full time and between the cycling to work at 5.30 am, the afternoon school run, rejoining exercise class and looking after my 2 little ones I'm so knackered every night I barely have the energy to turn on the computer! Hopefully now though I'm starting to get used to the routine. Thank you for your patience in waiting for this instalment. This is actually technically the final chapter, however I have an epilogue on the way which will (unsurprisingly) take place 2 years later. Should get that up within the next 2 weeks. Bear with me though!**

* * *

The gardens of the Hitachiin manor were beautiful, as to be expected of such a high profile designer. Bougainvillea of every colour spilled out between patches of carefully manicured lawn. Artful rockeries separated amaryllis from gardenias, proteas from tulips, and the water features were elegant and majestic but still managed to be playful. Haruhi loved it all.

Kyoya and Haruhi walked in silence side by side. Kyoya seemed to have a destination in mind and Haruhi was content just to bask in the peaceful surroundings. The day was clear but there was a chill in the air and Haruhi tightened the jacket around herself, glad she had the forethought to grab it before following Kyoya outside.

Kyoya watched her out of the corner of his eye, the sun glinting off his glasses, but he made no comment. If his feet moved a little faster that was neither here nor there.

After a minute or so of brisk walking, they reached a wrought iron bench, the worn green and bronze such that Haruhi had almost missed it amongst the foliage. The pair sat, still not speaking, and it was then that Haruhi realised why Kyoya had foregone other perfectly reasonably seats. This had to be the best view in the entire garden. The manor was some way off but stood as a majestic backdrop to the beautiful garden. Reds and greens and blues sprawled before them in what could pass for a renaissance painting.

"If I was Tamaki, I would say 'the beauty of this garden pales when compared to your smile.'"

Haruhi hummed in agreement. "It's a good thing you're not Tamaki then. I'd have probably hit you for such a corny line."

Kyoya chuckled. "I'm glad it didn't say it then."

The two laughed but it quickly faded back to silence. Haruhi turned from the view to look at the man sat beside her.

"Why are we here, Kyoya?"

Kyoya shifted, the minor discomfort in his eyes quickly changing to determined resolution.

"I miss you."

Haruhi clamped her lips closed over the sharp gasp that wanted to escape.

"I've been letting logic and rationality make my decisions. I don't really know how to do it any other way. It's taken me a while, and quite a few words of... ahem... encouragement," he thought back to the lecture Fuyumi had given him and the thinly veiled threat from Honey, "but I haven't treated you the way you deserve. I need to ask your forgiveness, and I owe you some honesty."

Haruhi placed a hand on his arm, saying nothing but offering Kyoya a gentle smile. Kyoya took a breath.

"I think... no, I know, that I have fallen in love with you, Fujioka Haruhi. I didn't think I cared who I ended up with. I imagined one day I'd be introduced to some well connected woman whom my father deemed suitable for furthering my career and producing an heir and little else. We'd end up spending our lives like my parents; living separately, virtual strangers sharing a home and presenting a united front at social events for the sake of propriety. And I thought that was fine. I'd never really given myself room to think that life could be any different."

Haruhi was looking a little dumbstruck but didn't try to stop him, just sat and took in the words he spoke, so Kyoya decided he would push his luck. Sometimes you had to gamble if you wanted to win. He took her hand, noticing absently how her fingers were a little cold, and held it between both of his. He was rewarded with a flush of heat across her cheekbones and it gave him hope.

"You make me want something different, something more than the monotonous life my father has had planned for me since before I was born. I love you, Haruhi. I want to be by your side for as long as you would have me. Haruhi, would you be m-"

His words were cut off with the soft press of lips to his own. The hand he wasn't holding cupped his cheek and he didn't know how he had thought her fingers cold when all he could feel from her was warmth and the onslaught of a thousand butterflies in his stomach. The kiss was over as suddenly as it started; Kyoya had barely begun to respond before she was pulling away, his lips following hers desperately but with futility. She was already gone. He hadn't even realised he had closed his eyes until they blinked back open, his lips curling into a smile of their own volition.

"Does that mean-"

"No."

The smile quickly dropped away again.

"No?" he asked, somewhat disbelieving but with the twist of real pain in his chest.

Haruhi regarded him carefully, not quite able to keep her own smile in check.

"Well... not yet," she prevaricated and almost laughed at his confused, blinking face, the furrow between his brow cute enough that she wanted to tease him. It wasn't often one encountered a bewildered Shadow King. But despite that, she didn't leave him that way for long.

"I think I might be in love with you too, but I came to Ouran Academy for a reason and I can't get distracted from that. And you, Kyoya-senpai, are definitely a distraction," she said, a hint of regret in her voice.

Kyoya had never been happier than hearing her say she loved him - even if she had prefaced it with 'might be'. Even when she was rejecting him, her words gave him hope.

"So..." he mused. "What now?"

Haruhi looked down at their still connected hands.

"My graduation is two years away. I want to put all my energy into my studies until then."

Kyoya nodded in understanding. He bit his lip in thought. They sat once again in silence, this time less uncomfortable. Kyoya was gratified to note that she had not pulled her hand away and that their fingers had become entwined. The butterflies swooped once again in his stomach.

"Two years..." he mused, his face an unreadable mask. Haruhi looked at him warily. "I think I can wait two years."

"Wait... what? I... that wasn't what I was-"

"I know," he reassured her and he looked down into her face with the softest expression Haruhi had even seen him wear. For the first time, she could actually see the love he had for her and it made her catch her breath. Suddenly, two years seemed like a very long time to not be with Kyoya. "But I want to wait for you. I will wait for you, for as long as I need to. Can I ask you a favour though?"

Haruhi narrowed her eyes suspiciously. It never paid to do a deal with the devil and she wasn't a fool. "What do you want..?"

Kyoya chuckled at her naturally cautious nature.

"It's nothing bad... well..."

"Kyoya..." She spoke with a warning in her tone.

"I just hope that you won't consider this to be too much of a distraction for your studies. And we could always help you when it's quieter and you have been managing to balance both y-"

"You want me to come back to the host club, don't you?"

Kyoya smiled. "Did I mention how much I've missed you? And this way I'll get to see you, even if we aren't dating. Also the boys have been lost without you. Tamaki especially..."

"You're losing money, aren't you?"

Kyoya had the good grace to look almost sheepish.


	16. Epilogue

Did I say two weeks? I meant two months... I'm really sorry about that. Apparently I didn't get used to the routine. This is it now though. Done and done. I hope you enjoy the epilogue.

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Two Years Later

All of the original hosts had gathered to watch the twins and Haruhi graduate from Ouran Academy.

Face after nameless face passed in a line across the stage. Kyoya barely paid them any mind. Every so often he would vaguely recognise patrons of the host club but he wasn't really interested. After each name was read out, he gave the bare minimum of obligatory applause. Instead, he spent the beginning of the graduation scanning the masses for any sign of Haruhi. She was lost, however, in the sea of caps and gowns.

Predictably, after every familiar name, Honey would whoop and holler. Even now the older boy was filled with the boundless energy and enthusiasm of a child on a sugar high. Doubtless he would nap well after the ceremony.

Without anything of importance to distract him, Kyoya found himself trapped in his own thoughts. Now that there was no far off graduation as a roadblock to them being together, Kyoya was suddenly very nervous. He knew his feelings hadn't changed in the past two years, but what about her? Had she taken this time to realise Kyoya didn't have a place in her future? They had kept in contact even after Kyoya had graduated, and if anything, they had only gotten closer and Kyoya had become very familiar with the cold setting on his shower. And when that didn't work, his own left hand.

She hadn't given him any indication in their many study sessions or very occasional recreational activity that her feelings towards him had changed at all, not that they ever discussed it. Still, now the time had come to put that to the test and he was more nervous now than he had been when he first confessed to her.

When Haruhi's name was called, there was a noticeable energy in the room. She had gained quite a name for herself as an honour student who had become top of her class even without the private tutoring others could easily afford. On top of that, she was the famous president of the host club. There wasn't a girl in the school who didn't know the name Fujioka Haruhi, the natural host.

Kyoya felt his heart stutter in his chest as she walked calmly across the stage, humbly accepted her certificate and bowed formally. There were many more names to get through before the end of the ceremony, but having seen her both calmed and excited him. He couldn't wait to see her afterwards.

Not long after, the twins took their turn on the stage. With a disapproving scowl, Kyoya eyed up 'Hikaru' as he crossed the stage, sure that it was Kaoru who accepted the rolled paper tied in ribbon. His brow smoothed as he decided it was none of his business and he applauded with the rest of them. 'Kaoru' threw a cheeky wink their way when his turn came next, and that was enough to confirm Kyoya's suspicions.

The seemingly endless call of names finally finished and everyone filed out of the hall to attend their respective post-graduation celebrations. There were several parties taking place, mostly confined to each of the clubs. The host club party was to be the grandest, however, with many girls joining the festivities. It was bound to be an elaborate affair.

* * *

Music room number three was looking the finest Kyoya had ever seen it. There were twinkle lights all around, a pianist playing in the corner - it wouldn't be long before Tamaki took the opportunity to show off - and there was dancing and conversations in private nooks and the tinkling of laughter in every corner. The atmosphere was warm but with a detached grace that hinted at an understated wealth. The balance was perfect.

More than an hour into the party and Kyoya had yet to speak to Haruhi alone. He had seen her make her speech, beautiful on the podium in her knee-length, princess-cut dress. As a group they had met and congratulated the twins and Haruhi on their graduation, but they all had their duties as members of the host club and Kyoya had quickly lost sight of her. But he had just spotted her leaving the bar with a fresh glass in hand, alone for once. Taking a steadying breath and running slightly clammy palms over his jacket - the move meant to look as though he was smoothing away any creases - Kyoya strode confidently towards her, giving a warning glare to anyone who dared even so much as look in her direction.

Haruhi's smile was dazzling as she turned to face him.

"Hello, Kyoya-senpai."

Kyoya gave her a look of mild disapproval but chose to move past her use of suffix. "Walk with me?" he asked, offering her his arm. She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and they moved towards the edge of the room, no particular destination in mind but vaguely circling the party. Somehow, any topic of conversation seemed to completely drain from Kyoya's mind and they walked for several minutes in somewhat uncomfortable silence. They came to a natural stop in a secluded area of the room and Haruhi's hand dropped away.

"So... graduation." Kyoya was blown away by his own eloquence. He was better than this, he really was, but when faced with everything he had been pining over for the past two years and then some, he found himself completely lacking in the ability to formulate intelligent sentences. Haruhi didn't seem to be faring much better.

"Yes, graduation," she agreed, looking down at her feet, her hands locked behind her back. Faced with the evidence of her shyness, Kyoya suddenly found a modicum of bravery, looping a lock of hair behind her ear - it only just caught, threatening to fall in front of her eyes again with the slightest provocation - and brushing his fingers along the sharp angle of her jaw, bringing her face up so her eyes met his. Softly, he smiled at her and let his hand fall away.

"You've done a good job here. Perhaps your future is in party planning instead of law." His voice was dry and anyone else would have taken his statement seriously, but there was a twinkle in his eye which hinted at mischief. Haruhi smiled in amusement, the awkwardness from just a moment ago drifting away like sakura blossoms at the end of hanami.

"A wonderful idea," she agreed, her own eyes twinkling in response. "It will give me the chance to wear all those party dresses I've been so desperate to have an occasion for."

Kyoya chuckled appreciatively. "You jest," he said, "but I'd wager there's a Hitachiin original or two stashed away in your wardrobe. And if there isn't , the twins must be itching to dress you up like their own personal doll."

Haruhi laughed in response and then twirled in a very girlish move that he never thought to see her perform.

"A Hitachiin original," she said and her hand swept down the opulent skirt made with shades of blue. The top was sleeveless but with wide straps and a neckline which just brushed her collarbone. It was a surprisingly subdued design, Hikaru usually leaning more towards the flamboyant and Kyoya could see Kaoru's hand in it. It suited her well, and he always had liked that colour on her.

"Quite a shock to everyone; that you were a woman all along," he mused, smiling at his own private joke. He had known from almost the moment he had met her, after all.

As the president of the Host Club, Haruhi had been responsible for the end of year party in which she handed over the reins to her successor and at the same time, outed herself as female since she no longer had a need to hide her identity. Likely that would be a hot topic for some time to come. Even now, as he gazed around the room, he could see a few questioning glances shot their way and whispered conversations behind shielding hands.

Cool, soft hands tucked themselves into his and he startled, looking down into large, limpid pools of melted chocolate. And while the description was apt, Kyoya mentally rolled his eyes at his own use of poetic language, even in his own head.

"Kyoya?" Her hands tightened in his and she caught his eyes in her questioning gaze. "Was party planning and dresses really why you came over to talk to me?"

Kyoya shook his head, an uncharacteristic flush highlighting his sharp cheekbones. "No," he acknowledged, glancing around once more to ensure they wouldn't be interrupted. "It wasn't. I wanted to talk to you about us." Haruhi's smile was encouraging but she said nothing. Kyoya looped their fingers together and led her to a loveseat tucked into the corner of the room. They sat and it was as if the rest of the room didn't exist, the darkened corner their own private hideaway.

"Nothing has changed for me," he said, words hushed with the reverence of his confession. "Over the past two years you've occupied a large part of my mind and a day hasn't gone by where I haven't wanted you by my side. I know that your success here at Ouran Academy was just the first step for you on your journey and that, if anything, the work is going to get harder and demand more of your time, but I'm just hoping that whatever time you have left to spare, you'll give to me. I know having you with me will only make the difficult times easier, and, I hope, I can do the sa-."

Haruhi cut him off with a brush of her lips against his, fleeting yet enticing and Kyoya immediately lost track of his train of thought.

It was as though they were back in the garden of the Hitachiin manor, the colourful blooms surrounding them and the sweet press of Haruhi's lips filling his senses. And just as back then, it ended as quickly as it started. As she pulled away, Kyoya caught the back of her head, halting her escape and drawing her back to him.

"I really don't think that will cut it this time," he said, and then his lips were against hers, Kyoya quick to take advantage of her gasp of surprise, his tongue slipping between her lips. Haruhi's hands slid from where they had braced against his chest, curling around his neck as any resistance melted away.

Between kisses, Haruhi managed to draw back enough to press murmured words into the corner of his mouth. "Me too," she whispered. "I want you with me, always." And she drew him back in for another fevered kiss, both oblivious to the jeering and hollered whoops coming from the twins in the background.

They didn't have everything figured out, and the future before them was definitely not going to be easy. Maybe they wouldn't last a year, let alone a lifetime, although they were both determined, even stubborn people and would fight for what they wanted. The future is never set in stone, but for now, they could claim this slice of happiness together.

The End

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Thank you so much, to everyone who has read, liked and commented on this fic. I couldn't have finished it without you! It has taken me a long time, far, far longer than I would have liked, but then life is just like that sometimes. Thank you all for the support. I really hope you've enjoyed it.


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